Filipinos whose National ID is turned down by a bank, shop or office can report the establishment through hotline 1388, email or Facebook, and the business can be fined up to ₱500,000.
Republic Act 11055, the PhilSys Act, makes the PhilID an official government-issued ID that works for transactions requiring proof of identity. It covers government agencies, state-owned firms and all private sector entities.
Section 19 penalizes anyone who, without just and sufficient cause, refuses to accept the PhilID or PhilSys Number, subject to authentication. The fine can reach ₱500,000.
Where to Report
You can send a complaint through the following methods:
- Message the PSA PhilSys Facebook page,
- Call the hotline at 1388,
- Email [email protected], or
- Go to the nearest PhilSys registration center.
Before you file your report, write down the name and address of the establishment, the date, and what the staff told you. Reports go to the PSA, which handles the penalty process.
Which Versions are Valid
There are three versions of the National ID: the physical card, the printable ePhilID, and the digital ID. All three versions must be equally honored.
Some establishments have refused the ePhilID. Staff can check it with the PhilSys Check verifier. If they still refuse after a successful check, the incident can be reported.
Another reason businesses have given is that the card has no signature, which they treat as a problem for documents like cheques. The PSA’s answer is that they can scan the QR code on the card to verify the holder.
Banks supervised by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas have a specific instruction on this. The PhilSys ID should be accepted as sufficient proof of identity for know-your-customer (KYC) checks, without requiring other IDs.
Before the National ID, banks usually asked for at least two valid government IDs to open an account. Banks that refuse can face penalties. A senator has also urged the public to report banks that refuse the card.
The PSA has warned establishments that failing to recognize the National ID carries a ₱500,000 penalty.
